Apart from their
economic costs, oil spills are harmful to marine ecosystems. Methods such as
on-site burning and skimming don’t efficiently remove the oil.

Scientists
led by Kana M. Sureshan from the Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research, Thiruvananthapuram, in Kerala, India prepared an adsorbent by mixing sugar-derived
organic gelator with cellulose pulp. They then tested the adsorbent’s
oil-absorbing and water-repelling properties by exposing it to droplets of oil
and water separately.

When exposed
to a mixture of crude oil and water mixture, the adsorbent quickly took up the oil,
indicating its oil-loving nature, and retained its globular shape, making it
easy to scoop out after two hours.

The adsorbent
can take oil 16 times of its own weight which could be recovered by pressure or
distillation. The method works well with crude oils from different countries,
says Sureshan.